The Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva has requested a fourth extension of the deadline for the clearance of anti-personnel landmines left behind during the war in various parts of Ethiopia.

It is worth noting that in 2004, Ethiopia ratified and signed the Ottawa Convention, a treaty to prohibit the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, which was adopted in 1997.

Ethiopia is obligated, under Article 5 of the Convention, to remove, or take steps to ensure the removal of, anti-personnel mines in any part of the country.

The document also states that the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict have further increased the size of the previously existing minefields, hindering the study and exploration of new sites, and hindering the achievement of the planned targets.

According to the document dated August 7, 2025, there are extensive anti-personnel mines and munitions left in the ground from the 90-year conflict in Ethiopia.

The document notes that in 2020 alone, 109 mines were cleared from 33,000 hectares of land.